This invention relates to the wrapping of coins into rolls, and more particularly to a machine for automatically wrapping coins of various denominations.
Coins are often formed into rolls and wrapped for ease in handling. The rolls vary in size and quantity of coins depending upon the particular denomination. Thus, for example, in U.S. coins, the standard rolls contain fifty coins in the case of pennies and dimes, forty coins in the case of nickles and quarters, and twenty coins in the case of half dollars. The wrappers for coins of different sizes and quantities to form standard rolls also necessarily differ in size.
There are essentially three methods by which standard coin rolls are prepared: manually, semiautomatically, and fully automatically. The manual and semiautomatic methods use preformed coin wrappers and the fully automatic method typically uses a wrapper blank.
In the manual method coins from a precounted stack are manually inserted into a preformed flattened tube which must then be physically closed at each end. The semiautomatic method employs preformed wrappers which have also been closed at one end, usually by crimping, and thus are in the shape of a tube. These preformed wrappers are typically filled by coin counting and packaging machines which accept a supply of coins of a particular denomination and count and eject such coins through a packaging spout into the open end of the wrapper which is then crimped. Such packaging machines are capable of counting out a predetermined quantity of coins and then halting operation until commanded to proceed to dispense another fixed quantity of coins.
In the fully automatic method, machines are provided which will accept a batch of coins of a particular denomination and will automatically form the coins into a stack of predetermined quantity depending upon the denomination. Typically the fully automatic machines will utilize a roll of paper and form wrapper blanks which are wrapped about the stack of coins as needed, rather than using a preformed wrapper or a precut wrapper blank. Examples of the fully automatic machines are found in U.S. Pat. No. 2,635,402 to Jorgensen, issued Apr. 21, 1953, and U.S. Pat. No. 3,382,647 issued May 14, 1968 to Davey et al.
The fully automatic wrapping machines become quite complex in their design and operation because of a need to accommodate the different denominations of coins. One approach to accommodating different denominations within one machine involves the use of a turret having a plurality of parallel bores each of a size to accept a particular denomination of coin. When changing over from operating with one coin denomination to another, the turret is indexed to the proper bores. Examples of machines of this type are U.S. Pat. No. 2,709,880 to Jorgensen, issued June 7, 1955, and U.S. Pat. No. 3,432,983 to Picollo, issued Mar. 18, 1969. This latter patent utilizes a turret having two pairs of bores for each denomination of coins and which is also indexed during the wrapping procedure between a coin stacking station and a coin wrapping station.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,000,160, to Speggiorin, issued Sept. 19, 1961, is similar in that it uses a turret. However, the patent employs recesses on the periphery of the turret sized to a particular diameter of coin and the turret is not only indexed for selection of the proper size recess but is also indexed during operations between three stations for stacking, wrapping, and discharge, respectively.
The automatic wrapping machines which employ turrets are complex in construction and require very expensive components. Thus, the turret itself requires extensive machining and assembly to maintain the alignment of parallel bores. The turret is also complex because of the number of parts which it must carry.
In accordance with our invention, we provide an automatic coin wrapping machine which will accommodate the wrapping of coins of different denominations and which utilizes simple, passive, removable coin tubes for each particular denomination. For coins of different denominations the only adjustments needed in the machine are coin diameter and thickness, and coin quantity adjustments for the coin count module, and a paper length adjustment, all of which adjustments are easily made.